December 5th: Friday
Theme: 2. Christmas Tree
Hiro smiled fondly as he observed the grand Christmas Tree that now decorated the window of Frostbite. The tree had gone up the day before, but it hadn't been decorated until this morning when Hiro arrived. (He was all but forced into helping decorate it and Hiro had to admire his work). The fresh smell of pine mixed in with the smell of peppermint and gingerbread. The brightly colored Christmas lights reflected off the colorful ornaments.
So lost in admiring the beauty of the tree, Hiro barely noticed that Tadashi was approaching.
Tadashi took a seat. "Can I use you as a soundboard? I know my rambling about robots and coding are probably going to bore you to tears. Just nod occasionally? I need to get my thoughts in order."
Hiro blinked. He supposed where he had finals to worry about Tadashi had a final project to finish. He nodded, secretly excited to hear what Tadashi was working on.
Tadashi launched into a long technical speech that would have gone over most people's heads. He was working on creating a medical robot that he named 'Baymax' as a way to help people in need. While he had a basic skeleton frame made out of carbon fiber, which was lighter, an ideal shape and design, and as well as the sensor and coding to make Baymax all figured out, Tadashi was beginning to run into tiny little problems all over the place and it was frustrating. This was his fifth prototype and Tadashi just wasn't sure where the issues were.
Hiro nodded in the right places, understanding all too well the frustrations that came with inventing. Few people got it right on the first try; most would make prototypes after prototypes. It was maddening and hair-pulling but the satisfaction at the end would make it all worth it, if one lasted that long. Hiro's mind began to wander as he continued to listen to Tadashi's smooth voice.
"-concerned about the battery at the moment too. I'm using a lithium ion battery but Baymax doesn't last more than a few hours and ideally I would prefer if Baymax at least lasted a day, even with using his more high powered items like his screen or his defibrillator. I could get a bigger battery I suppose."
"Why not use supercapacitors?" Hiro absentmindedly suggested.
"What?"
Hiro tapped his pen against the table, still not quite paying attention. "Supercapacitors charge faster, in a matter of seconds really compared to lithium ion batteries which mean they have a very high power level density. They also last longer, meaning you won't have to replace them compared to a lithium ion battery as often. The problem comes into play with your voltage limit, I suppose. A higher limits means placing the supercapacitors in series, which reduces the total capacitance. Not to mention putting them in series means you need more which means more money. There are a couple that modules up to 125V, so assuming that screen of yours..."
Hiro trailed off when he realized what exactly he was saying. A look of horror blossomed on his face as he realized that Tadashi was staring at him in shock. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Hiro berated himself mentally. He was trying to get away from the field of science and engineering; away from being known as a genius.
Quickly, Hiro gathered his things. "S-Sorry," he stammered out. "I gotta go."
"No, wait Hiro!"
Hiro was out the door in a flash, ignoring Tadashi's cries.
Poor Hiro. Two steps forward, one step back.